Ridgefield girls soccer dominates McMahon

Chris Brodeur

Updated 11:09 pm, Thursday, October 24, 2013

RIDGEFIELD -- Clinging to one of the last available seeds in the upcoming FCIAC tournament heading into Thursday's matchup with McMahon, the Ridgefield High girls soccer team could ill afford a slip -- like, say, one of the scoreless draws that plagued it earlier this season -- against the struggling Senators.

Depositing a brilliant through-ball from junior Nicole Syrotiak in the fourth minute, Lockwood would also register a first-half assist to go with her game-winner in an eventual 8-0 Tigers triumph at Lancaster Field.

At 9-3-4, the Tigers -- who began the day slotted as the No. 7 seed -- have now tallied 32 points toward a playoff berth, which could net them the fifth or sixth seed. McMahon (1-14-1) didn't offer much in the way of a playoff preview, but finding the net in advance of tenser, more tightly contested games was nonetheless an encouraging sign for the Tigers.

"We have created opportunities, and the difference now is we're taking some," Ridgefield coach Alex Harrison said. "That's crucial. Especially now at the back end of the season. If you're going to peak, you want to peak now.

"We've worked on it," Harrison continued. "The amount of time we keep the ball, we're going to get opportunities. But we need players to take them. At the back end of the season here, kids are taking chances. That's what we're going to need if we're going to go deep into FCIACs, and the same for states."

The Tigers continued to make headway with crisp, precise passes that elicited wide-open looks. They added a third score in the 34th minute, when Jenna Denis buried a cross from Alexandra Damron.

Damron scored a goal of her own less than two minutes into the second half, blasting home an Ellie Molwitz feed. On a corner kick eight minutes later, Morgan Hartmayer piled onto the lead, settling a corner kick with her back to the goal, then turning and firing it in. Damron made it 6-0 in the 55th minute, one-touching a Katherine Jasminski pass.

Molwitz scored in the 62nd minute, streaking down the left sideline and curling a low, left-footed shot past a diving attempt. And with about a minute and a half remaining, Gretchen Ball capped the scoring with the soccer equivalent of an empty-netter: with McMahon's keeper well off her line, she dribbled around her and bounced in an uncontested shot.

"There have been results like this, this season, but we've always put the effort in until the end," McMahon coach Richard Hickson said. "I can't ask any more from them. Ridgefield is a good team. They're going to do very well (in the postseason)."